ARTICLE 1
The current predominant way consumer products are distributed by 3rd parties and through middlemen is massively flawed and outdated.
We, at our core, believe that by helping founders cut out the middlemen and reach out directly to their core audiences through e-commerce, we can bring value both to brands as well as their customers. As a result, we support exceptional founders to bring their brands direct-to-consumer to enthusiasts and professionals all around the world, leveraging the power of the internet.
ARTICLE 2
Large, established brands face the quintessential’s Innovator’s Dilemma:
the largest advantage of direct-to-consumer is being able to cut out the middle-men and pass on savings to customers. However, if large and established brands decide to undercut their own vast and deep-rooted networks of retail partners by offering their products at far lower prices on their own websites, they will quickly destroy their core business.
As a result, these large and established brands will be unable to adapt quickly enough to this unprecedented change. This will present the biggest opportunity to build the consumer product brands of the future.
ARTICLE 3
The Internet is the Great Equalizer.
Technology has allowed brands to build niche audiences and stay authentic without having to bend to the compromise of mass appeal. In the past, brands were either confined by physical geography; or by having to appeal to the masses. This was the era of the large department stores; curated one-stop shops people would learn to trust as quality. However, shelf space in a department store is precious and brands that had mass appeal were favored. This was also the era of TV broadcasting, of national newspapers and of national radio. If you wanted to capture enough of an audience, you would have to appeal to a broad spectrum of interests - and with this came the watering down of brands.
The Internet has turned this completely on its head. It is a medium for all of us to find our passions; a sea of speciality podcasts replacing broad appeal radio stations, a field of YouTube channels upturning cable TV, an army of blogs replacing newspapers and ripe ground for micro-brands with staunch and loyal followers to plant firm footing in a space historically owned by established brands with wide appeal. Direct-to-consumer micro brands on the Internet are not constricted by geography, nor are crippled by having to appeal to all. They can continue to reach their audiences, deliver stand-out customer experiences and build a proper relationship with their customers without having to compromise on brand identity.
ARTICLE 4
Consumer product brands are primarily media buying companies.
As such, their core advantages stem from excellent branding and effective media consumption. We at Galton Voysey believe that media consumption is rapidly and permanently transitioning from analogue to digital, from mass appeal offline to personalised interests online. As a result, large established brands will leave a massive vacuum online, to be filled by born-digital brands.
ARTICLE 5
Today, for those who choose to pursue it, creating quality products has become democratized and accessible across the board.
Long gone are the days where crafting quality products are the mainstays of large, established brands, protected by in-bred relationships and completely inaccessible to others. These days, the Internet connects the world’s best manufacturers to those who commit to realising an idea. Over time, manufacturing has become modular and accessible, effectively levelling the playing field.
ARTICLE 6
Logistics and last mile delivery has been commoditised and is no longer a solution owned exclusively by the established.
Whether you are a small, one person micro-brand posting out products from your home, or a 200 year-old luxury goods conglomerate, both businesses have the same choices of 3PL solutions that deliver the best logistics experience to customers. We strongly believe that there is is no category of product that cannot be effectively sold online and that the playing field is only going to get more level; it is simply a matter of time before 30-minute deliveries are commonplace and available to all.
ARTICLE 7
Galton Voysey has a proven replicable model of taking undiscovered brands and turning them into household names.
We build brands with staunch loyal followings. As such, we carefully consider and select brands who meet our criteria for long life cycles that last generations and the potential for lasting brand power.